Improvement in apparatus for distilling petroleum



3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. COLE, Jr. Apparatus for Distilling Petroleum.

No. 220,962. Patnted Oct. 28,1879.

WITNESSES r INVENTO I V Qefiwc ATTO IRNEY 3 SheetsSheet 2.

*J. COLE, J1: Apparatus for Distilling Petroleum.

No. 220,962. I Paterfted Oct. 28, I879.

WITNESSES I INVENTO fi%tu 1A bb/ I v V I; A m u ATTORNEYS 3 Sheets-Sheet3. J. COL-E, Jr. Apparatus for Distilling Petroleum.-

- No. 220,962. I Patented 0m. 223, 1879i INVENTQR- WITNESSES v ATTORNEY5.

N PETERS. PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON. D C

'To all whom it may concern:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES COLE, JR, OFOLEVELAND, 01-110.

IMPROVEMENT IN APPARATUS FOR DISTILLING PETROLEUM.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 220,962, dated October28, 1879; application filed v December 2, 1878.

Be it known that I, JAMES COLE, Jr., of

' Cleveland, in the county of Ouyahoga and State of Ohio, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for DistillingPetroleum. or its distillates and I do here by declare the following tobe a full, clear, and v exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it pertains tomake and use it,reference being had to the accompanying drawin gs,which form part ofthisspecificatiou.

My invention relates to apparatus for the distillation of petroleum orits distillates for a double purpose-either for raising the firetest ofan illuminating-oil or for obtaining specific distill-ates; and itconsists in the parts and combination of parts hereinafter described andclaimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents a side view of one form ofapparatus suitable for carrying out my process. Fig. 2 represents asection of the primary reservoir or still. Fig. 3 is a plan view of theapparatus. Fig. is a detail sectional view of the same through line fl/y-of Fig. 3. Fig. '5 is a similar view through line 09 m of Fig. 3. Fig.6 is a view representin g more minutely the secondary still.

A is what may be termed the primary reservoir or still. It is,preferably, constructed from boiler-iron or other material adapted towithstand a considerable degree of pressure or exposure. Into thereservoir A the substance to be refined is first placed and thereservoir then tightly closed. This reservoir I prefer to provide withsuitable man-holes A and safety-valve A Into the reservoir A, I

lead one or more steam-pipes, B, which are extended at or near thebottom of said reservoir, and suitably perforated to admit of the escapeof steam into the'contents thereof, and it is by the action of thissteam that distillation is effected.

O is a pipe leading from the reservoir A to the primary condenser D,which is filled with water or any suitable cooling medium. The pipe 0,as it enters the primary condenser D, is divided into a number ofsmaller pipes or, instead of this, it may be in any suitable mannerformeddnto a worm or the like, so that the vapor shall be. sufficientlyexposed to the action of the cooling medium in the in'imary condenser D.Beyond the condenser D the pipe 0 proceeds to connect with the secondarystill E, and at any suitable point between the condenser D and still Ethe pipe 0 may be provided with an inspection window, 0, through whichmay be seen the amount of liquid passing through the pipe.

The secondary still E, like the primary still, is a closed chamber, intowhich also passsuitable steam-pipes for heating its contents in asimilar manner to that already described for the primary still A. Eachstill A and E is provided with a catch-basin, a, for collect ing thewater that may be found in the petroleum or that resulting fromcondensation of the steam. This \vatentalling to the bottom, iscollected in the basin a, and from this led away by any suitable pipearrangement. These pipes should, of course, be provided with stopcocksfor manifest purposes.

O is a pipe whereby condensed matter formed in the secondary still E isreturned to the pri mary still A for redistillation, and in order toprovide a free flow through this pipe I connect it by the pipe 0 withthe upper portion of the still E. This acts as a vent and facilitatesthe fiow through the pipe 0 The secondary still E may also be providedwith a suitable manhole and other appliances for examining, repairing,and cleaning purposes. The vapors arising from the distillation in thechamber are passed througha number of pipes, F, which are made to passin a tortuous or serpentine manner through a sufficient amount of wateror other cooling medium contained in a tank, F, which may be termed thesecondary condenser.

I do not limit myself to any specified number of stills or accompanyingcondensers, as this number will be determined entirely by the degree ofrefinement to be reached, or by the desired distillates sought. Thedistillates of higher gravity will come off first, and it will thus beobvious that to obtain products of different grades an appropriateconstruction of apparatus will be required containing a greater or lessnumber of stills and condensers, as may be necessary. The pipes F (whichare in reality but a continuation of the pipe 0) are finally led into acistern, G, which will contain in a condensed form the lightestdistillates.

I do not limit the use of my invention to the refinement of petroleumand the separation from it of its distillates, inasmuch as naphtha maybe placed in the still A, and by the process before specified itslighter distillates may be separated and collected in the same manner asalready described.

Instead of injecting steam through the pipe B, hot air may be forcedinto the still; or the pipes B, if desired, may be altogether omitted,and the contents of the still heated by any suitable externalappliances.

H is a blow-pipe similar in construction to the perforated pipe B,already specified, and this is used for the purpose of injecting air,either hot or cold, for the purpose of blowing out from the still anyvolatile and nncondensed vapor that may remain behind, thus entirelyfreeing the contents of the primary still from these lighter products.

The secondary still is provided with a vertical series of cocks, f,adapted for determining the height of liquid in said still; also, fordrawing and testing the gravity of the oils; also, for drawing off theoils if the latter are of suitable fire-test and redistillation is notdesired.

hat I claim is- 1. The combination, with the primary still, primarycondenser, secondary still, and pipe 0, which passes through saidcondenser and opens into the secondary still, of an independent pipe, 0connecting the secondary still with the primary still, substantially asset forth.

2. The combination, with the primary still, primary condenser, secondarystill, and pipe 0, which passes through said condenser and opens intothe secondary still, of an independent pipe, 0", connecting the lowerportion of the secondary still with the primary still, and pipe 0,connecting the upper portion of the secondary still with said pipe 0",substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES COLE, JR.

Witnesses:

JNO. GnowELL, J12, W. E. DONNELLY.

